Up and Coming Composers Work with Pros in Summer Program

Wellesley College is hosting the Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center, an annual workshop for composers of serious music, from July 22 through August 5. Each summer, 10 composers, selected from approximately one hundred applicants, are awarded composing fellowships to the Conference.  A corps of professional musicians of the highest caliber rehearses, performs, and records their works. As Wellesley’s Professor Martin Brody says, “This is a unique environment for the performance of contemporary music by the top performers of that repertory in the country.”

It is also a unique opportunity for visitors to hear brand-new pieces of chamber music in performance.

The composing fellows work with two distinguished guest composers. For summer 2012, the Conference welcomes Eric Chasalow and Melinda Wagner as guest composers.  Past guest composers have included Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Jacob Druckman, John Harbison, Lee Hyla, Earl Kim, Donald Martino, David Rakowski,  Shulamit Ran, Gunther Schuller, Joan Tower, George Walker, Ollie Wilson, Charles Wuorinen, and Chen Yi.

Performances begin the fourth week of July. All concerts are at 8:00 p.m. in Jewett Fine Arts Center Auditorium at Wellesley College unless otherwise indicated. All concerts are free, open to the public, and handicapped accessible.

Concert Schedule

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

• Jenna Lyle, breathpiece
  • Mezzo-soprano: Mary Nessinger
  • Violoncello:  Michael Finckle
  • Contrabass: Pascale Delache-Feldman
     
• Andrew Sigler, Imaginary Choreography
  • Violin: Yuki Numata
  • Violoncello: Joshua Gordon
  • Piano: Molly Morkoski
     
• Eric Fernandez
  • Violin: Miranda Cuckson, Jennifer Elowitch, Yuki Numata
  • Viola: Louise Schulman, Lois Martin
  • Violoncello: Joshua Gordon, Michael Finckle
  • Piano: Molly Morkoski
  • Bassoon: Adrian Morejon
  • Contrabass: Pascale Delache-Feldman
     

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Concert and Conversation with Guest Composer, Melinda Wagner, with live performance of Romanze with Faux Variations (piano trio) featuring Sarah Crocker, violin; Joshua Gordon, violoncello; and Molly Morkoski, piano.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

• Andrew McManus: The Rarer Action: A scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest
  • Mezzo-soprano:  Mary Nessinger
  • Flute: Barry Crawford
  • Violin: Sarah Crocker
  • Violincello: Joshua Gordon
  • Piano: Chris Oldfather
  • Percussion: Stephen Paysen, Ben Paysen
     

• Stephen Yip: Realm of the Immortals
  • Violin:  Jennifer Elowitch, Sarah Crocker
  • Viola:  Lois Martin
  • Violoncello:  Michael Finckle
  • Contrabass:  Pascale Delache-Feldman
  • Piano:  Chris Oldfather
  • Flute:  Barry Crawford
  • Oboe:  Peggy Pearson
  • Bass Clarinet:  Jean Kopperud
  • Bassoon:  Adrian Morejon
  • French horn:  Alma Liebrecht
  • Trumpet:  Gareth Flowers
  • Trombone:  Benjamin Herrington
  • Percussion: TBA
     

• Emily Koh: tra[d/ns]itions (string quartet commissioned by Composers Conference for Amateur Chamber Music Center players)
  • Violin:  Susanna Erber
  • Violin:  Joe Singer
  • Viola:  Priscilla Ellis
  • Violoncello:  Mariko Kunitomo
     

Wednesday, August 1, 2012  

• Jacob Gotlib: Year Without Summer (Daumenkino)
  • Flute:  Barry Crawford
  • Clarinet: Jean Kopperud
  • Piano:  Chris Oldfather
  • Violin:  Alex Woods
  • Violoncello: Joshua Gordon
     
• John Arrigo-Nelson:  fluttuazione/attimo
  • Piano:  Blair McMillen
  • Piano:  Chris Oldfather
  • Percussion: TBA
     

• Hendel Almétus: Rêves Transcendants (Transcendental Dreams)
  • Percussion:  tba
  • Piano:  Chris Oldfather
  • Violin:  Owen Dalby
  • Viola:  Liuh Weng Ting
  • Violoncello: Chris Gross
  • Contrabass:  Pascale Delache-Feldman
  • Soprano: Tony Arnold
  • Flute: Barry Crawford
  • Clarinet: Jean Kopperud
  • Oboe: Peggy Pearson
     

Concert and Conversation with Guest Composer Eric Chasalow (Brandeis University), including recorded works and a live performance of String Sextet by Miranda Cuckson, Owen Dalby, violins; Louise Schulman, Liuh-Went Ting, violas; and Chris Gross, Joshua Gordon, violoncelli. 

Saturday, August 4, 2012  

• Shawn Allison: Night Rituals
  • Flute:  Barry Crawford
  • Clarinet:  Jean Kopperud
  • Percussion:  TBA
  • Violin: Miranda Cuckson
  • Violoncello:  Chris Gross
  • Piano:  Blair McMillen
     

• Peter Fahey: Through and Through: I. Lullaby
  • Soprano:  Tony Arnold
  • Flute: Barry Crawford
  • Oboe: Peggy Pearson
  • Clarinet:  Jean Kopperud
  • Bassoon:  Brad Balliett
  • Horn: Alma Liebrecht
  • Trumpet:  Jeffrey Missal
  • Trombone: Benjamin Herrington
  • Piano:  TBA
  • Violin: David Fullmer, Alex Woods
  • Viola: Louise Schulman
  • Violoncello:  Joshua Gordon
  • Contrabass: Pascale Delache-Feldman
  • Percussion: TBA
  • Violin:  Barbara Hulka
  • Violin:  Mary Lincoln
  • Viola:  Scott Smith
  • Violoncello: Leon Vieland
     

• Emily Koh: tra[d/ns]itions  (string quartet commissioned by Composers Conference for Amateur Chamber Music Center participants)